Dissidia Endless Cycle: -011- Chapter 1
by Dedlocked
Summary: Five warriors from the side of Cosmos venture to destroy the Crystal Pillars and a new threat. The path, though, is not an easy one - numerous obstacles block their paths.
1. Chapter 1 - Prolouge

_**Chapter 1: Prolouge**_

No longer could she feel or see her surroundings - only the blackness that she had enveloped herself in. She was here because she needed to be, because the fate of the conflict depended on it. She called out to the god that hid in the shadows, the one whom remained neutral. She awaited her answer to, what seemed like, no avail. However, patience was one thing she was always good at keeping. Her worry and fear were the only things that kept her from the world.

At last, there was an answer.

"Hello Goddess," said a voice through the empty darkness. The voice was one of monotone and relaxation, yet something about it struck intimidation into those who heard it - and that same thing made it sound comforting. "What do I owe this lovely talk?"

"Truce," she said, referring to the speaker's name. "What you have done goes beyond forgiveness."

"I don't need your forgiveness, Goddess," Truce responded, the same tone echoing through her ears.

"Your role in this conflict is to not exist," she continued. "As the god of balance it is your duty to keep the cycles from ending on a whim. It is your job to keep the battlefield a fair fight."

This time the voice had no response.

"Why have you forsaken me, Truce?" she called out to him. "Why?"

There was a pause before the response. "I grow weary of this war," he told her.

"It is not your place to grow weary," she told the God of Balance.

"It is not your place to question me," was his response before the existence of the voice became null in the darkness. She was left alone to think

* * *

"Cosmos?" said a voice.

When the Goddess of Harmony opened her eyes she was no longer in the empty blackness that housed the conversation between her and another god - but what had been said was not forgotten. The God of Balance, whom had hidden in the shadows for so long, had finally done something of his own will. When she looked forward to the voice that called her, there stood a group of her warriors - five of them - and in the middle was the caller of her name. He wore a black, sleeveless turtleneck, with baggy pants, shoulder armor and black hair slicked back - his signature smile taking Cosmos momentarily away from worry.

"Cosmos?" Zack repeated. "You called for us?"

Cosmos lowered her head, closed her eyes and smiled. "Yes," she confirmed. She looked around at the five warriors before her. "So you're the only ones that heard my call."

"We all came running as soon as we heard," said a female youth. She wore long blonde hair, braids and beads hanging down over her fave and tied up with a blue bandana. Some found it odd that she wore a yellow bikini and an olive miniskirt into battle, but free spirit argued otherwise. "Well, I did at least," Rikku finished with a smile.

Cosmos sighed. "There is something that I must tell the five of you..." Cosmos began, sounding as if she didn't want to say it. "In this conflict, it is one god versus another, is that correct?"

Everybody looked around at each other until Ceodore, the 15 year-old paladin, nodded back at the Goddess. Penelo shot him a quick stare, as if to ask if that was the right thing to do. The two of them had been traveling together for some time now, becoming rather close friends.

Cosmos continued. "There is but a third divine deity in this world of battle," she waited for the warriors' response, but it only came in puzzled looks to each other. "Where there is a goddess of harmony and a god of discord, in the shadows is a god of balance; Truce."

Zack smiled, crossed his arms and shifted his weight to his left leg - the massive sword on his back lingering a little more to the left. "So big deal," he started. "I don't see any warriors of Balance around here, do you?"

Rikku shot him a look. Zack's cheerful personality contrasted her own, which gave the young Al Behd both comfort and irritation. "Oh zip it, Zack," Rikku told him. "Can't you just let her finish?"

Zack uncrossed his arms closed his eyes and shook his head, his smile never-fading. "You're lucky you're so cute, otherwise I might not listen to ya,'" Zack replied playfully.

Cosmos chuckled. The thought of joining in on their conversation was a happy one, but she knew she had to finish telling them what it was she needed them to hear. "You warriors are not to know of his existence," she paused. "You would have my gratitude to keep this a secret." The five warriors nodded to her, and she continued. "Truce has recently informed a Chaos Warrior on how to unleash an army upon us." She paused again. "I'm not sure how or why, but it seems the god of balance has chosen a side in this conflict. The side of our enemies."

"It's okay, Cosmos," Penelo told the goddess, her far too baggy red pants blowing in the wind. "You can tell us what you need to tell us," she finished with a bright and caring smile.

"I think what she's gonna ask us to do is take down Ol' Balance once and for all," Zack interrupted with a cocky attitude.

Rikku shot him another stare, but quickly diverted it upon Cosmos's next words: "It's alright Rikku," Cosmos told her. "Zack is correct."

"See?" Zack said to Rikku. "Have a little faith in me next time."

"Ohhh shut up," Rikku said playfully with a light push. This caused laughter from Zack.

"I do not wish to place this burden on the five of you," Cosmos exclaimed. "I'm sorry I have no other choice."

Wearing a revealing, form-fitting dress of white and redish-pink, a girl with pink hair tied up to a pony-tail on one side stepped forward and said; "Don't worry Cosmos," Serah hefted strange bow-like weapon onto one shoulder. "You can count on us."

Cosmos smiled as the others nodded in agreement, with the exception Ceodore; who was ever-lacking in confidence. The goddess of harmony put her hands out and five dim beams of twisted their way to each of the five, disappearing upon each of their foreheads. The group was frozen in awe for this short moment.

"These are the locations of the crystal pillars," she told them. "Only once all five have been destroyed will you be able to see the Bridge to Truce hidden in Mirage Sandsea."

The warriors each smiled and gave cosmos their silent approval before taking their leave.

As the Warriors departed Cosmos uttered one last thing to them: "And please," she began. "I beg of you to keep the existence of this third god a secret."

* * *

He pierced the last Manikin with his brilliant red sword before stopping momentarily to breathe. His long red coat and and brown hair blowing in the wind. He looked to his destination: sanctuary. He had heard the calling of the Goddess that had chosen him and was running to her aid when he got caught up with Manikins. Now, just minutes away, he hoped he was not late.

Once the man was in the presence of Cosmos, she knew what he was there for. "So you had heard my call as well?"

The quiet man spoke few words. "Yes," he answered.

"Your friend Zack was here a moment ago," Cosmos sighed. "If you hurry you'll catch up to them."

Genesis nodded and took off after Zack.


	2. Chapter 2 - Ceodore's Tale

The crystal-like being threw it's fist at Ceodore, only for the young knight raise his sword and block the attack. He retaliated with an attack of his own: a swing from his sword that left the Manikin's form in two. Disappearing from existence, the Manikin let out a distorted and short-lived scream.

Ceodore caught his breath, sheathed his weapon and looked forward. He looked around the gateway - a castle floating in the empty air. His eyes scanned his surroundings before he finally spotted what he was looking for: the Stigma of Chaos - over on a platform in the empty space in the sky. The youth trotted over to the end of the grassy block floating in the air, and looked down. All he saw was blue sky below, but he knew better than to trust what he saw. Ceodore took a few steps back, ran forward and leaped off the edge - this sent him soaring straight for the Stigma.

He landed with a skid, eyed the Stigma and said: "One down."

* * *

Ceodore Harvey - a youthful Paladin with a lack of confidence. Upon entering this world of war, he remembers but one thing: he is the son of Cecil Harvey. It is a memory he has held on to ever since. While not wanting to follow his father's footsteps, he quietly searches for him in the midst of the Gods' conflict.

As he heads toward the Melmond Fens, the only thing on Ceodore's mind is the chance to see his father. Maybe his father remembered more than he did, maybe he could tell his son of the past life. These were Ceodore's hopes, the only thing to keep him fighting in this World of War.

* * *

Ceodore let out a shout as he was struck by a Manikin and thrown aside. His eyes looked up in fear, but quickly changed to anger.

"So you would be the army?" Ceodore teased. "The ones Truce unleashed?"

No answer from the glimmering, pink enemy in front of him, just a lunge forward. Ceodore responded to it's attack with a backstep and a counter-attack. The youth's sword, glowing with magic, pierced the Manikin and it faded away.

"There's so many," Ceodore told himself, trying to catch his breath. "I don't know if I can do it."

Regardless, Ceodore forced himself forward to the gateway that lie ahead.

Once inside, he scanned his surroundings. He stood atop a perfectly circular pillar of rock that resided in a place of black sky and other rocks along the rough blue terrain. Something about this gateway seemed familiar to him, but the Paladin shrugged it off as nothing.

He had to disregard it, Manikins advanced on him. A swarm of colors and shining brilliance marched his way. Ceodore raised his sword to block one's weapon, and rolled to the side as another attempted an attack. The youth slid forward, his sword pointing outward, and eliminated the two enemies. He whirled around to another one throwing a kick at him. Ceodore's response was to jump over his foe, his feet blowing away another Manikin in his path. His chain of attack was ended suddenly by a blow to his back, sending him off of the circular pillar, hitting the hard, rocky ground with a thud.

Now the Manikins marched in numbers even greater.

"Damn," Ceodore swore under his breath.

The youth put his back to another pillar and fought the Manikins off well. He had taken a few blows himself, but nothing major. He noticed, in the distance, another Manikin taking a leave in the opposite direction. Ceodore thought this strange, he had never seen a Manikin do anything but try to attack him. With that in mind he jumpped and ran up the side of the pillar his back was against.

Jumping from pillar to pillar, the few Manikins that remained followed his footsteps. Ceodore stopped on one pillar and waited for his followers. Once the Manikins were on the pillar Ceodore jumpped off and launched his attack. His sword glowed dimly with a deep blue color, and thrust it through the pillar shouting: "Advanced blade!" as the pillar colapsed, eliminating the rest of his enemies.

Ceodore emerged from the rubble, his eyes on the look out for the escaping Manikin. When he had found him, he made eye-contact with it, it's attention clearly focused on the young warrior.

"Good," Ceodore said to himself. "I got it's attention," he finished before sprinting toward what he assumed to be his foe.

Ceodore stopped short when he could make out what the figure looked like. The man walking toward him was no Manikin. Beneath his white and blue armor, the man had shoulder-length white hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and a tinge of purple on his lips. The youthful Paladin was in awe of who was before him - the man he had been looking for: Cecil Harvey - his father!

"Father!" Ceodore shouted and ran forward.

The man stopped and pointed his lance out, making his son stop in his tracks.

"Who do you fight for?" Cecil asked his son.

Ceodore was quiet. "Father it's me," he responded. "Ceodore."

There was a short moment of silence. "Who do you fight for?" Cecil responded, this time sounding a little more irritated.

"Ceodore Harvey," the child continued. "I'm y-"

"I know not any Ceodores!" Cecil interrupted with a shout. "Who do you fight for, I will not repeat this again."

Ceodore looked at his father with a confused look. Why was Cecil doing this to him? To Ceodore this made little to no sense, but the youth decided he'd better answer.

"Cosmos of course," Ceodore finally said.

Cecil looked his son in the eyes and lowered his weapon, much to his son's relief. Cecil then threw his chest toward him, launching four balls of purple and black energy at his son, his armor becoming dark and covering his entire body. Ceodore's eyes went wide and he rolled to the side.

"What are you doing!?" Ceodore shouted as his father dashed toward him at high speeds.

Cecil's response was a quick blow from his lance to his son's stomach, followed by a slash that staggered the youth. Cecil ended the quick combo with a backwards thrust that launched Ceodore backwards against another pillar.

Ceodore pulled himself up, confusion and fear ripping through his body. "What's wrong with you!?" he yelled.

"Fight!" Cecil commanded his son as he threw his lance in his son's direction.

Ceodore flipped into the air and over the lance, which afterwards reappeared in Cecil's grasp. His father's armor changed back into the less menacing armor from before and dashed through the sky at his son. He spun at Ceodore, his lance outwards - but Ceodore raised sword to block. The youth's counterattack was a rising horizontal spin, his sword striking his father multiple times, followed by a powerful downward thrust that pounded Cecil to the ground.

Ceodore landed in front of his father and shouted: "What is wrong with you!?"

Cecil pushed himself up and looked at his son. "There appears to be more to you than meets the eye," he said to Ceodore.

Ceodore noticed his father going back into a battle stance. The youth didn't want this battle to go on, his prediction was a failure for himself - he had to think of something.

Suddenly, though, Cecil got out of his stance and turned around. He was looking at something in the distance, and Ceodore spotted it too - a yellow figure.

Cecil turned back to Ceodore. "We will finish this at another time," Cecil told his son before running off.

"Wait!" Ceodore shouted, reaching out for his father, but he was already gone.

Left alone in the gateway, Ceodore pondered his latest encounter. Why did his father attack him? The young warrior replayed the incident in his head and finally figured it out. "He's sided with Chaos..."

* * *

Ceodore approached the next gateway that lay in the barren wasteland that was the world of the gods. "The pillar is in there," Ceodore said to himself.

As he entered the gateway, he continued to think about his father. How, of all people, was he chosen as a Warrior of Chaos? Ceodore didn't comprehend. He needed answers.

Ceodore stood in a massive building, highly advanced in the department of technology. In the center was an elevator, which was circled by two walkways that branched out into multiple rooms. In front of him were computers that read "Garden." Ceodore didn't think anything of it, just walked forward, his eyes scanning his surroundings.

There appeared to be a lack of Manikins in this Gateway, which was alright with Ceodore. He trekked up the elevator and went to the second floor. What lay in front of him was a massive cylinder that reached up to the sky and out of sight. What was magnificent about this object were the hundreds - no - thousands of glowing, purple crystals that covered the exterior.

Ceodore smiled. "The pillar," he said, drawing his sword.

He readied himself for a jab, let out a shout of emotion and pierced the pillar. Ceodore stood there, his hands on his sword and his sword in the pillar. He withdrew his weapon and the massive crystal began to crumble. Ceodore watched this until the tower lay in pieces, it's glow completely disappearing.

The young warrior sighed. "Well," he said to himself. "I guess I better go meet the others."

As the young Paladin started to walk away, a burst of light momentarily took his vision, but when it returned he saw the Goddess of Harmony before him.

"Cosmos!" he shouted.

"Where are you off to, Ceodore?" Cosmos asked him, the grace in her voice never fading.

Ceodore paused. "I found the pillar," he told her. "I'm going back to meet the others now."

"Is that what your head is telling you to do?" the Goddess asked him.

"Of course," Ceodore replied.

"But what is your heart telling you to do?" the deity asked.

Ceodore gave her a puzzled look, then thought about it. He finally came up with a response. "Go get answers."

Cosmos nodded. "From your father," she continued. "Cecil Harvey, a Warrior of Chaos."

"Y-" Ceodore stopped. "Yes..." The young Paladin let out a heavy sigh. "But what could I, of all people, do? I'm just a mere soldier, I would have no great impact."

"That is where you are wrong, Ceodore," Cosmos told him. "You are the person most suited to speak to your father. Your courage and determination are unrivaled." Ceodore kept his head down as the Goddess spoke. "That is the same reason Penelo turned to you when she was on her own."

Ceodore thought momentarily of Penelo, and realized that the Goddess spoke the truth. "Yeah," he replied. "You may be right."

Cosmos smiled. "Follow your heart," she told him as she faded away.

Ceodore smiled and looked upwards.

"She is right you know," said a booming and deep voice from behind the youth. Ceodore whirled to see a large imposing man in black armor, gold trimmings shooting their way across the suit. His helmet was one bearing large horns, and his appearance was complete with the cape hanging from his shoulders.

"I know you," Ceodore told him. He couldn't figure it out, but the voice was recognizable.

The tall man let out a grunt of laughter. "In this world," the man began. "Two gods face each other with armies of warriors from other worlds."

Ceodore stared back at the man in awe. He continued: "But what happens to those warriors once they arrive on this battlefield? They lose their memories."

Ceodore thought about that. "Now that you mention it..."

"Percisely," the large man confirmed. "Your father, Cecil, is in a state of dramatic memory loss. Some of us like to use that to our advantage."

"What are you getting at?" Ceodore asked.

"Are you aware that memories return faster when you fight with another from the same world?" the man asked. Ceodore didn't respond, so he continued. "Recently, Cecil has begun questioning himself a bit more - I assume your fight with him had something to do with that."

"How did you-" Ceodore was cut off.

"It matters not," he assured the young warrior. "What does matter is that you may be the only one to return your father to his proper senses."

Ceodore put the pieces, that were these man's words, together. He looked down and pondered - if he fought his father, he would regain his memories. How true could that be? He looked up and the man in black was no where in sight.

* * *

It took a while for Ceodore to figure out where his father might be. He assumed the Land of Discord at first, but he thought better of it. Then he remembered the feeling that the gateway he had met his father in gave him. It was a feeling of being in a familiar place, like he knew the place from somewhere else. He also remembered that his father had been wandering around in that Gateway for no clear reason. Had his father also felt the familiar feeling within the Gateway? Was it because it was perhaps a location from their home world? Regardless, Ceodore thought it best to check there first.

As he ran through the empty overworld, the child warrior cut through Manikins like butter. He felt good, he felt something he hadn't felt in a while: he felt confident.

Once he was at the Gateway the soldier of Cosmos eliminated any Manikins still left around him, and sat down.

He smiled as he pulled out a large, fancy, blue bottle with a handle that resembled a wing. It was the potion Penelo had given to him when they first met. He thought for a moment about Penelo. When he had first come to the world, he stumbled upon her in a fight with a brute in silver armor. To him, the fight seemed one-sided, Penelo on the losing side, so he helped fight off her attacker. She gave him the potion as a thank you, and the two had been friends since. Ceodore thought about it and realized that this is the first time the two had been separated since he got here.

He drank the liquid and stood, taking a heavy, deep breath. "Alright father," he said to himself. "Here I come."

With that he entered the Gateway, which was Manikin-free thanks to Ceodore's hard work. His eyes darted across the dark subterrain, but his father was not in sight. He heard something behind him and rolled to the side to narrowly dodge the descending suit of armor. At a closer glance, he realized it was his father.

His father stood and stared at him, his dark armor driving intimidation into his son. "Who are you?" Cecil asked his son.

Ceodore blinked, the question catching him by surprise. "My name is Ceodore Harvey," he replied. "I'm your son."

"I have no son!" Cecil assured him, waving his hand.

"Yes you do!" Ceodore shouted back. "I remember you! I remember looking up to you! I remember wanting to be as independent as you! It's the only thing I remember from home, why can't you remember too!?"

Cecil closed his eyes. "That cannot possibly be true," he replied.

"Why not!?" Ceodore drilled into him.

"Because I was born from the shadows and blessed with light," Cecil said to his confused son.

"And who told you that?" Ceodore asked.

Cecil got into his battle stance. "The only man I trust in this world of battle!" he finished, lunging toward the child before him.

Ceodore backstepped, avoiding a jab from his father's lance. The young knight lunged froward with an attack of his own, only to be stopped by his father's flying lance, which sent him sprawling backwards. Ceodore landed on his stomach, but recovered quickly. He looked up to see his father diving down at him in his white armor. The youth brought his sword up to block the incoming lance. As the two look each other in the eyes, Cecil smiled, and Ceodore turned his head to see a magical seal that began shooting bright projectiles.

The attack met it's mark as Ceodore is struck. Cecil took this opportunity to hit Ceodore with three spinning slashes. He followed with three slashes upon his son, and one last one to bring him slamming into the ground. As the young warrior lay there, Cecil landed beside him.

With a lance in his face Ceodore is spoken to. "There is something about you that I do not quite understand," Cecil told his son. "The more I fight you the more I get these visions... these memories."

"Those are your true origins, father!" Ceodore tried to tell his father.

Cecil started to lower his weapon, but brought it back up, as if fighting an urge. "That would mean..." Cecil trailed of.

The father shouted and thrusted downwards toward his son, but to no avail as the young warrior rolled to the left to evade. Ceodore used his sword to sweep his father's feet as he rushed forward, quickly turned around, stabbed through him and slashed with all of his might to send Cecil flying. As his father recovered, Ceodore stabbed the ground with his sword, causing light energy to erupt from the ground underneath Cecil. The more experienced Warrior of Chaos deflected it by stabbing the ground with his lance, sending a wave of dark flame toward his son and shifting his armor back to black.

Ceodore just barely avoided the massive tower of purple and black flame, and the two rushed at each other once again. They were both stopped by similar violet projectiles, and in between them appeared a laughing man. This man wore gold armor over the purple robes that hung out from his back, his hair blond, spiked and highlighted with more purple. He hefted a wicked looking staff, and had on a pale and serious face.

"Emperor Mateus!" Cecil cried.

Ceodore got a bad feeling from this guy. He seemed like he was one of the Chaos Warriors' finest fighters. Ceodore shot him a look, and the youth realized that this was the figure in the distance during his first encounter with his father. This lead to more realization: this is the man manipulating Cecil.

"You're the one who put those thoughts into my father's head!" Ceodore shouted at the man in gold.

The Emperor shifted his sights to Ceodore. "Foolish boy," he began, his voice powerful and unentertained. "I merely helped him realize."

"But Emperor," Cecil began, hanging his head. "I don't know if it's the truth anymore. Ever since these memories have come to me, my heart does not agree with my mind."

"Well, boy," The Emperor said to Ceodore. "It seems that you have caused more trouble than I had anticipated." He turned his head to Cecil. "Wipe those notions from your mind, you are nothing but my pawn now."

That set Ceodore off. "Bastard!" he shouted with a swing of his sword.

The Emperor blocked the attack with his staff, and pushed him back with his other hand, causing Ceodore to fall on his back. "We must take our leave," Mateus told Cecil, before the two vanished from sight.

Ceodore sat up. "Dammit!" the youth shouted, his hand punching the ground. This left Ceodore alone to think. After a while a smirk grew on his face. His father had showed signs of remembering and coming to his senses - he even told the Emperor of second thoughts. Ceodore got up and looked to the sky as his blond hair blew in the wind. "Next time, father," the youth stated before taking his leave.


End file.
